Conveyer-chute.



PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

J. BEAM.

OONVEYER GHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.21,1908.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

l/Vb new W 7f 5y Ayala xfll'l'ornclp PATENTED JULY '7, 1908.

J. BEAM.

CONVEYER GHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.21,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mm Q E m [IMA- cc UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BEAM, OF OSGEOLA, IOWA.

CONVEYER-CHUTE.

No. 892,550. A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedfl'uly 7-, 1908.

' Application filed March 21, 1908. Serial No. 422,482.

\ To all whom it may concern."

impart the required strength thereto and at the same time possess the necessary flexibility. A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for supporting the end of the conveyer in such manner that it may be capable of universal movement.

Afurther object of the invention is to procoupling the sections of the conveyer.

With the above and other objects in view, and to improve generally upon the details of such devices, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in which:

igure 1 is a side elevation of the receiving end of my improved conveyer chute, and

supporting frame work Fig. 1 is a side e-levation of the delivery end thereof; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of my improved chute,- one of the parts being shown in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view thereof; Fig. 4 is a transverse section substantially on the line 44 of Fig.\2 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through one of the sections of the chute on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail viewof the coupling means.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 1 indicates the supporting frame work, on which is mounted a suitable hopper 2, from the bottom of which pro'ect diver ing spouts 2 and 2% By means 0 a pivote door, 2, the contents of the hopper may be discharged through either spout.- I The coal or other material may be loaded'into the hopper 2 by means of any suitable traveling conveyer (not shown).

My improved chute comprises a series of short, tubular, telescoping sections 3, each of which consists of a cylindrical and a tapering portion, the tapering portion of one section tting into next.

4 re resents the receiving hopper to which the delivery end of the chute is attached, and

the cylindrical portion of the this hopper is provided with any suitable form of spouts 5. The end section 6, of the chute, is pivoted about a horizontal axis, as at 9, to 'a'ring 7, which ring is itself. ivoted about a verticalaxis, as at 8, to the opper.

By this arrangement, it .will be seen that the chute is capable of universal movement relative to the hopper 4.

In order to ive the necessary strength to the conveyer chute, I support the sections b means of a pair of tension cables 10, which cables pass over pulleys 11 and are provided at their free ends with means for maintaining them under tension, such for example, as weights 12, which may freely slide up and down in the frame 1. end pass over similar pulleys, and are similarly coun'terweighted.

Each section of chute is surrounded by a hoop or band 13, which is preferably placed at the junction ofthe taperin and cylindrical portions of the section, as 0 early shown in Fi s. 2 and 5. In the edge of the cylindrica portion of each section is formed a V-shaped notch 14 'across the bottom .of which is secured a wear plate 15.' Each of these notches is adapted to receive a lug 16 The cables at the other carried by the next adjacent section,- as,"

Secured to the band of each section at diametrically opposite points, is a pair of brackets 18 in which are mounted groove rollers or pulleys 17. adapted to run on the cables 10. Spring guards 19, secured to the end of the brackets, 18, are arranged to embrace the cables, and are so constructed that;

shown in Fig. 6, comprises a heart-shaped ring 21 secured in the clevis of one section, a snap hook 22 engaging such ring and a spring buffer or shock absorber 28. This shock absorber, as shown, comprises a casing in which is arranged a spiral spring-25, through which passes a headed rod 24, one end of said rod being connected to the snap hook 22. The hook 26, secured to the other end of the casing 23 serves as a point of attachment for a short piece of connectin chain or cable 27,

which is secured at its ot er end to the clevis 20 of the next precedin section. Ears 24, riveted to the sides of t e sections serve to support the spring buffers 23, and prevent them from becoming fouled with the cables.

From the spring buffer of the-uppermost section extends a cable 28 over a pulley 29,

to a drum 30, carried by the frame work 1,.

and which may be provided with a crank 31, or other suitable gearing, whereby it may be driven. This cable 28 is employed only for paying out or taking in the conveyer chute. y

en it. is desirable, for instance, to take out two sections of the conveyer, and thus shorten the same by this amount, a temporary bridle 32 (indicated'by broken lines in Fig. 3) is attached to the heart-shaped rings of the third section, and from this bridle extends a cable 33 over pulleys 34 and 35. It

is evident that by pulling on this cable 33,,

the first two sections may be relieved of the weight of the rest of the conveyer, and the snap hooks 22 may then be disengaged from the heart-shaped. rings of the third section,

and the two upper sections removed by means of manipulating the cable 28.

My invention is articularlyuseful in loading ships. In such case the end of the conveyer shown in Fig. 1 is secured to the ship to be loaded and the chute 5. leads to the hatches. The structure shown in Fig. 1 may be supported either upon a collier or barge, or upon the shore. The universal joint at 7'9, and the flexible cables 10, together with the yielding means for supporting the same, permit the conveyer to sway and turn freely, and its two ends to be relatively displaced due to the movement of the waves or other cause, without in any way impairing the operation of the device.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very practical and efficient conveyerchute,

' which adapts itself to a large variety of uses,

and it is t ought that the numerous advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:-

1. A conveyer chute com rising a series of sections, flexibly connecte and a cable on which said sections are supported.

. 2. A conveyer chute comprising a plurality of flexibly connected sections, and a pair of cables between which said sections are supported.

3. A conveyer chute comprising a plurality of connected sections, rollers carried by said sections, and a cable, co-extensive with said chute, and on which said rollers are adapted .to run. 4. A conveyer chute comprising a plurahty of connected sections, a pair of rollers carried by each section, and a pair of cables between which said chute is supported, and with which said rollers engage.

5. The combination with a conveyer, of a cable for supporting the same, and means for yieldingly supporting the cable at each end, and maintaining the same under tension.

6. The combination with a conveyer, of a cable for supporting thesame, a fixed guide pulley over which said cable passes, and a counterweight carried by the free end of said cable. I

7. A conveyer chute section comprising cylindrical and tapering portions, and a ring or band surrounding said section at the point where said portions join.

I 8. A conveyer chute comprising a plurality of flexibly connected telescoping sections, capable of relative lateral movements each section being provided with a notch in one end, and a lug carried by each section, and adapted to engage the notch in the next adj acent section.

9. In a conveyer chute comprising a plurality of sections, coupling means for said sections, such means comprising a-fleXible connection secured at one end to each section, and carrying at its other end engaging means adapted to be connected to another section, and a spring bulier interposed in said flexible connection. 1 10. In combination with a conveyer comprising a plurality of connected sections suspended between two points, means for teme porarily relieving the end sections, of the weight of the conveyer, whereby said sections may be detached.

11. A conveyer chute comprising a plurality of sections, each section being provided with means of attachment to the next adjaaccommodate the end of a second flexible 10 cent section, and each section being further connection in addition to the first.

provided with means to which an auxiliary In testimony whereof I have hereunto set connection may be temporarily attached. my hand in presence of two subscribing 12. A conveyer section .provided' with witnesses.

means of attachment to a similar section, JOHN BEAM.

such means comprising a flexible connection Witnesses:

carrying at one end a substantially heart- J. HANSON BoYnEN,

shaped ring, such ring being so formed as to I ARTHUR L. BRYANT 

